Kia and Alfa Romeo have for the first time ever been named finalists for the North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year Awards. The nine vehicles still in the running for the 2018 awards also include two chances for Honda to extend its winning streak to a third consecutive year.

It's too early to tell what kind of sales impression Kia's nascent Stinger performance sedan will have for the brand. But its design impact was felt the minute Kia pulled off the covers at the 2017 Detroit auto show.

U.S. light-vehicle sales dropped 6.9 percent in July, the weakest showing yet in a year that is on track to generate the industry's first decline in volume since the 2008-09 market collapse. The SAAR dropped to 16.78 million, down more than 1 million from July 2016.